Goose Hunting

[Rippinlip]

I have been seeing ALOT of geese and I was just wondering what and if any of you have any tips to have a little more shooting success?
I am looking for how to set up my dekes?
If I am using the right loads for ducks and geese?
What calls are most effective?

Thanks alot

Mark

[Guest]

Rippinlip,

Are you thinking about field hunting or water hunting?

For field hunting, I like to create the illussion of families of geese sitting in a field. You don't need alot of decoys to do this either. I usually keep it to about 4 dozen. Shells, sillohettes, and wind socks (if there's wind) mixed together seem to work real nice. Full bodied decoys are great if you can drive out into the field you're hunting. You don't really need to adhere to a particular pattern. Just try to make it look like 3 or 4 families landed here. And spread the families out. Now, the geese hopefully will attempt to land into the wind. So try to give the birds a target to shoot for while landing. And remember, they're not particularily fond about flying over their buddies (your decoys) when landing. I like to think of the landing area as a little runway; some kind of distinct opening that will encourage their aim.

This is important, don't sit in their runway. In fact don't sit anywhere near (unless you have a layout blind or a dug pit) anything a goose would look at. I like to get off to a side of the landing area on the outer fringe decoys. Try to match up as well as you can with the ground you're on. If I'm hunting plowed fields I either wear black or I smear mud on my jacket. If I'm hunting stubble (I don't if I can find something plowed), I'll go with traditional camos. Just make sure you don't move and you keep a low profile.

Calls - I like flute style calls. But, that really doesn't matter, you just got to practice with whatever call you choose. I've spent alot of time sitting next to golf courses trying to get geese to acknowledge me and trying to sound like them. You get many a strange look from the golfers. One word of advice when calling geese, don't overcall. It's real easy to make a mistake when you really get going wild on a call.

Shot - I like 3" BBB through an improved cylinder choke. I'm not making many shots past 40 yards, so this setup seems to work out real well.

Hope this helps.

[Rippinlip]

Thanks Bornofice,
I am field hunting and that was what I was looking for, for advice.
My last two times have been great, 4 geese and only 5 shots taken. It just doesn't get any better than that for me, especially when you have your daughter with you.
I think I have a hunter in the works? (hopefully)

Thanks again

Mark